Flooded regulator- main and backup

[RayfromTX]

Try to find a good instructor. I just used the phone book and wasn't thrilled with the results. I got better results by searching on here. I found a good instructor for our advanced open water and he is a tech instructor so we will be able to continue with him as we feel the need. When we did this we had one experienced diver for each of us. It was still a risky adventure but we didn't know what we didn't know. We did do a lot of things right but things can cascade. I'm glad you love it. It is a great thing for couples. My wife and I are experiencing a connection in our marriage that is beyond what we have ever had. We've never had an activity that was equally appealing to both of us. In the past we took turns trying to take part in the things that the other person liked to do. I'm so glad she talked me into trying it. Being landlocked, it seemed impractical but we got over that.

 

[Coryjack70]

Try to find a good instructor. I just used the phone book and wasn't thrilled with the results. I got better results by searching on here. I found a good instructor for our advanced open water and he is a tech instructor so we will be able to continue with him as we feel the need. When we did this we had one experienced diver for each of us. It was still a risky adventure but we didn't know what we didn't know. We did do a lot of things right but things can cascade. I'm glad you love it. It is a great thing for couples. My wife and I are experiencing a connection in our marriage that is beyond what we have ever had. We've never had an activity that was equally appealing to both of us. In the past we took turns trying to take part in the things that the other person liked to do. I'm so glad she talked me into trying it. Being landlocked, it seemed impractical but we got over that.

That's pretty awesome! Hopefully it'll be as good for us

 

[2airishuman]

My wife and I were on our 2nd dive ever last week in Cozumel. We decided to use a local dive master that everyone seemed to know but he wasn't a big dive outfit. Just a guy renting out his equipment. During my first dive I exhaled and then inhaled a mouthful of water. Reached for my regulator and it was gone. I just had the mouthpiece. So I bragged my backup, got air and finished my dive. ( I realize now I should've surfaced at that point).

Good move on your part. Loose or broken ziptie is the usual cause for the mouthpiece to come off. I would imagine the reg had been recently serviced and had perhaps not been dived since then.,

On my second dive, less than an hour later, I noticed my breathing getting wet and each breath restricted my air flow more and more. While trying to reach my guide my air flooded completely. I reached for my backup and same result. I freaked and surfaced on my own. My guide slowly made his way up, asked what happened, purged my regulator and tried it. He said it was ok. We went down again ( again I realize now this was not smart). Ten minutes later I got the same flooding regulator. I signaled my guide and used his backup to surface.

Who knows, probably a combination of things. Guessing, tank valve not fully open combined with a leaking diaphragm or loose mouthpiece.

I need to know I'm not just going crazy. Does this happen to anyone else?

I've had mouthpieces come off. It is common to enter the water with air only partially on although I have, as far as I know, never done it.

Main lesson here is to get gear you can depend on, either buy your own, or rent from an op who have a reputation for quality.

 

[RayfromTX]

You will learn what to look for and how to tell. If I were to rent gear, I would still take my IP checker along with my CO and O2 tester. I would inspect the hoses and mouthpiece and fittings and look at the oring on the tank. It's stuff you'll pick up along the path.

 

[billt4sf]

Always go with quality dive operators, not some guy with a rig he's willing to rent.

There are many good outfits in Coz, we love Scuba with Alison.

- Bill

 

[Peter69_56]

Also always check the mouthpiece for small splits. I had issues with Oceanic regs where the mouthpiece would get a small split where it contacted the edge of the reg. Couldn't see it unless you pulled on the mouthpiece, but it would let water in. Also sometimes the exhaust valve will get bent up a little and not seal, removing the cover and making sure it seals fixes that too